Father-of-eight is top volunteer for Chernobyl work

A father-of-eight has scooped the top prize at this year’s Volunteer Ireland Awards for his work with a Chernobyl children’s charity.

Kilkenny man Jim Kavanagh was named the Christine Buckley Volunteer-of-the-Year 2014 at an awards ceremony last night.

Over the past 20 years, Jim has helped raise more than €1.2m to help children and adults in Belarus, and brought 1,000 children to Ireland for rest and recuperation. He has helped thousands more in Belarus and Western Russia by making the 6,000-mile round-trip to the former over 20 times, delivering medical supplies, nappies, building materials and wheelchairs.